Stitchdown shoe



June 3, 1941. H.'N. GRxMx-:s 2,244,062

STITCHDOWN sHoE Filed bet. 6, 1959 Patented June 3, 194i STITCHDOWN SHGE Harry N. Grimes, Brentwood, Mo., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Fifi@ Application october 6, 1939, serial No. :293,289

(ol. ca -41e) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stitchdown shoes and sole units for use in such shoes.

In the manufacture of stitchdown shoes very my improved sole unit is embodied in place of the usual middle sole; t

Fig, is a perspective View, partially broken away, of the shoe shown in Fig. 4; and

little attention has been paid heretofore to shap- 5 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view ing and strengthening the bottoms of the shoes of the shank portion of a two-sole stitchdown in the shank portions thereof and as a result shoe embodying my improved sole unit. stitchdown shoes have generally been devoid of Referring to the drawing, my improved sole many wearing and foot-fitting qualities which unit is adapted for use in place of the usual insole are characteristic of other and more expensive in a two-sole stitchdown shoe or in place of the types as well as lacking in character and reneusual middle sole in a three-sole stitchdown shoe. ment in their shank portions. When used in a three-sole stitchdown shoe my An object of the present invention is to imimproved sole unit may be termed a middle sole prove the construction and appearance of the unit (and the sole member of the unit may be shank portions of the bottoms of stitchdown termed a middle sole) inasmuch as the unit is shoes without substantially increasing the exlocated between an insole and an outsole. In pense of manufacturing the shoes. such a shoe, however, the sole unit may aptly In accomplishing this object, a stitchdown bealso referred to as an innersole unit inasmuch shoe has been produced in which the shank poras the unit occupies an inner position with retion of the shoe bottom has been strengthened spect to the outsole or tread sole of Vthe shoe. and shaped to reproduce certain desired char- Broadly considered, therefore, my improved sole acteristics of last bottom contour by the em-v unit is an inner sole unit regardless of whether ployment in the shoe of a sole unit of novel it is to be used in a three-sole or in a two-sole construction. The illustrated sole unit comprises shoe. My improved unit comprises an extension an extension edge sole, i. e., a sole the marginal edge innersole i0, a heel and shank reinforcing portion of which is extended to underlie the piece l2 and a shank stifener i4. The innersole outtur'ned flange of the upper of a stitchdown lll is made somewhat larger in size than the shoe, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece which bottom of the last to be used in making the shoe is secured to one side of the sole, and a longito provide a marginal or extension edge portudinally curved shank stifener which is intertion for underlying the outturned flange of the posed between the reinforcing piece and the sole. upper of a stitchdovm shoe. The reinforcing Asshown the reinforcing piece covers the heel piece I2 is preferably made of iiberboard, leatherand Y'shank portion of the sole with the exception board or other suitable moldable and relatively ofthe'extension margin thereof and the reinforcstiff Vmaterial and is died out or otherwise cut ing piece together with the portion of the sole to a marginal contour corresponding substam towhich that piece is applied are curved both tially to that of the heel and shank portions of longitudinally and transversely in conformity the last and it is secured to the innersole in such with the lon gitudinal and transverse curvatures a position as to cover the heel and shank portions of lthe last bottom. The extension edge portion of the innersole with the exception of the extenof the sole, however, is left uncovered and with- 10 sion edge portion thereof and to leave the latter out any substantial transverse curvature for the uncovered for the reception of thread lasting and reception of thread lastinrj and outsole-attaching outsoleeattaching stitches. A suitable cement, stitches. such as rubber latex, may be employed for at- The invention will be described with reference taching the reinforcing piece to the innersole, to the accompanying drawing, in which the cement being preferably applied to both the Fig. 1 isa perspective view of my improved innersole and the reinforcing piece before these sole unit showing the upper or foot-facing side parts are brought together. As shown, the reinofthe unit;` forcing piece l2 is attached to the `side of the Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the unit showing innersole which is to be lov-Jermost so as to face the lower or outsole-facing side thereof; Si) the outsole in the shoe and the shank stiffener Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the unit taken i4 is interposed between the innersole and the along'the line III-III of i and illustrating reinforcing piece. The reinforcing piece is bevthe operation of molding the unit; eled to a thin edge all around, a wide bevel being Fig. iis a cross-sectional View of theshank formed so that when the reinforcing piece is portion of a three-sole stitchdown shoe in which assembled with the innersole I8' the lowersurface of the piece I2 will merge gradually with the surrounding lower surface portions of the innersole and thus a smooth, substantially uninterrupted surface will be presented throughout the entire lower side of the unit for the reception of the outsole. The illustrated shank stiffener consists of a wooden shank piece of well-known construction, the shank piece being curved both longitudinally and transversely to correspond to the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the portion of the last bottom which it is to underlie in the shoe and having its lateral and end surfaces beveled at its lower side to avoid the formation of undesirable sharp ridges in the reinforcing piece and the outsole. However, if desired, a metallic shank stiifener may be employed in place of the wooden shank piece. In any case, however, it is desirable to employ a shank stiffener of substantial thickness so that after the unit has been molded, as will be described, the reinforcing piece will have somewhat more transverse convexity than the innersole and thus, the shank portion of the outer'sole, which will be conformed to the reinforcing piece, will have a corresponding amount of transverse convexity therein instead of being substantially flat as in most stitchdown shoes as heretofore made. The shank stiffener is secured in place by means of cement which is applied to the reinforcing piece and to the insole and, as shown, the forward portion of the shank stiffener extends into a notch I6 in the forward extremity of the reinforcing piece which positively prevents lateral displacement of theforward portion of the shank stiffener. After the parts of the sole unit have been assembled the reinforcing piece and the portion of the innersole which overlies it are molded to shape them in conformity with the longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the shank stiifener and of the last bottom. Advantageously, this molding may be accomplished by introducing the assembled parts between molds having suitably shaped molding surfaces, such as the molds I8 and 20 shown in Fig. 3. The molding being preferably accomplished while the cement is tacky and the cement becoming more or less set as a result of the molding pressure, the cement between the layers of the laminated sole unit will assist in preserving indefinitely the molded formation imparted to the unit. The molds i8 and 2li, as shown, are substantially smaller in size than the innersole I!! so that the extension edge portion of the innersole will project beyond the molds and will not be acted upon thereby. Consequently, the extension edge portion of the innersole will not be molded and no transverse curvature will be imparted to this marginal portion of the innersole but it will be left substantially at except where it is curved in a lengthwise direction. Thus more space is provided between the innersole extension and the outturned flange of the upper to facilitate the performance of the thread lasting and outsole stitching operations in the manufacture of a stitchdown shoe in which the innersole unit is incorporated.

In using the above-described sole unit in the manufacture'of a three-sole stitchdown shoe (in which the unit is to be employed in place of the usual middle sole) the procedure may be as follows. An upper 24 and a lining 26 (Fig. 4) having been assembled with an insole 28 upon a last 30, the lining 26 is tensioned over the last and the margin of the lining turned inwardly in the forepart and shank portions of the Shoe and secured, as by means of cement, in overlasted position upon the insole 28. At the heel end of the shoe the marginal portions of both the lining and the upper may be turned inwardly and secured in overlasted position upon the insole as by means of tacks 32 (Fig. 5). A molded innersole unit comprising a sole member I0, a reinforcing piece I2, and a shank stiifener I4, assembled, secured together and molded as described, is temporarily secured in place over the insole 28. In the forepart and shank portions of the shoe bottom the margin of the upper is flanged outwardly and secured by thread lasting stitches 34 to the extension edge of the sole member Ill of the unit, the stitches 34 extending through the sole member IIJ just outwardly of the beveled edge of the reinforcing piece I2. An outsole 36 is then laid and permanently attached, in the forepart and shank portions of the shoe, by means of outseam stitches 3B which extend through the outsole 35, the sole member I0, the outturned ange of the upper 24 and also, as shown, through a welt 40 which overlies the ange of the upper. In the heel-seat portion of the shoe the outsole may be attached by means of nails 42. The shoe is completed by the attachment of a heel 44.

Alternatively, as illustrated in Fig. 6, my improved sole unit may be employed in place of an insole in the manufacture of a two-sole stitchdown shoe. In making such a shoe, an upper 24W is placed upon a last 3B, together with an innersole unit constructed as herein described and comprising a sole member I0, aV reinforcing piece I2, and a shank stiffener I4. The upper, at least in the forepart and shank portions of the shoe, is flanged outwardly and secured by means of thread lasting stitches 340 to the extension edge of the innersole unit. Thereafter, an outsole 360 is laid and permanently attached by means of outseam stitches 380 which extend through the outsole, the extension edge of the innersole and through the outturned ange of the upper 24%.

In either a two-sole or a three-sole stitchdown shoe having my improved innersole unit incorporated therein the reinforcing piece I2 and the shank stiffener I4 will impart a desired stiffness and rigidity to the shank portion of the shoe bottom which is lacking in shoes of this type as ordinarily constructed. As a result of the permanent surface contours imparted to the shank and heel portions of the innersole unit by the molding operation the shoe will not only have better foot-fitting qualities than are usually present in stitchdown shoes but, because of the shape and particularly the transverse convexity of the lower side of the unit in its shank portion, a corresponding shape will be imparted to the shank portion of the outsole so that the latter will compare favorably with shoes of other and more expensive types so far as the shape, character and refinement of the shank portion of the outsole is concerned. In making the shoe, on account of the fact that the reinforcing piece is substantially smaller than the innersole and does not overlap the extension edge portion of the latter, the needle of the thread lasting machine will not have to pierce the tough fiber of the reinforcing piece and thus the thread lasting operation can be satisfactorily performed .without danger of breaking the needle. Inasmuch as the fiber piece terminates at some distance inwardly from the edge of the innersole, it will not be visible in the finished edge [of the shoe bottom to detract from the appearance of the shoe. Moreover the ber reinforcing piece, being located between inner and outer sole members is entirely concealed from view and it is permanently secured in place throughout its entire area in such a manner as to insure that it will effectively perform the function of stiffening the shoe and maintaining permanently the desired form of the shank portion of the shoe bottom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A stitchdown shoe comprising an upper having an outturned flange, an inner sole having an extended margin underlying said outturned ange, stitches extending through the base of the outturned flange of the upper and through said inner sole, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece cemented to the lower side of the shank and heel portions of the inner sole, said piece being coi extensive with that portion only of the inner sole which lies within said stitches, a shank stiiener interposed between the inner sole and the reinforcing piece, an outer sole, and stitches securing together said outturned flange and the margins of said inner and outer soles, said reinforcing piece and the portions of said inner and outer soles which are coextensive with said piece being transversely curved to conform to the transverse curvature of the bottom of a last but the extension margin of the inner sole and the corresponding marginal portions of the outer sole in the shank portion of the shoe having no substantial amount of transverse curvature.

2. A reinforced inner sole unit for a stitchdown shoe comprising an extension edge sole having a transversely curved intramarginal shank portion and transversely straight marginal shank portions, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to the lower side of the shank portion of the said sole inwardly of said marginal portions, and a longitudinally curved shank stiffener interposed between said sole and said reinforcing piece, the margin of said reinforcing piece being formed with a wide bevel providing a thin edge.

3. A reinforced inner sole unit for a stitchdown shoe comprising an extension edge inner sole, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to the lower side of the shank portion of the inner sole, a shank stiffener interposed between said inner sole and said reinforcing piece, the rear and side edges of said reinforcing piece being spaced a substantial distance from the edge of said inner sole, thereby stiiening the intramarginal shank portions of the inner sole and providing uncovered and unstifened marginal shank portions for underlying the outturned marginal flange of an upper, said reinforcing piece and the portion of said inner sole which is covered thereby each being curved transversely to conform to the transverse curvature ofthe bottom of a last but the uncovered marginal shank portions of the inner sole being transversely straight.

HARRY N. GRIMES. 

